A $20 billion plan for a moon base by 2030 and the launch nuclear-propulsion space exploration raises hopes, but caution given deep government cuts.

NASA announced on Tuesday it has canceled plans to deploy a space station in lunar orbit and will instead use components from the project to build a $20 billion base on the ​moon's surface, while also planning to send a nuclear-powered spacecraft to Mars.

The new initiative includes a base on the moon, a nuclear-powered flight to Mars and a replacement for the ISS.

In an on-going overhaul of NASA's Artemis program, agency officials say it will take seven years to build a sophisticated base on the moon.

NASA plans to launch a nuclear-powered spacecraft to Mars by 2028, a major step for deep space exploration and its planned moon base.

NASA is hitting the reset button on its return to the moon and going even bigger. The agency is fast tracking a permanent base on the moon's surface.

Missions will include crewed moon landings every six months to visit a permanent lunar base.

NASA unveiled a new vision for its near-term future Tuesday, including construction of a complete moon base, a major increase in robotic missions and a nuclear-powered spacecraft to bring a slew of